Generally Just Noah
by Val'Aishlym
Summary: Drabbles from the 30 Days with Noah that have been marked 'general'. Individual warnings, ratings, and summaries are in each chapter/drabble. m!lavellan
1. Day 5, Unrequited

**Char: Varric, Noah**

 **Summary:** Varric suspects Noah has a crush on him as the elf continuously showers him with gifts. Varric doesn't want to hurt the elf's feelings but he also doesn't want to lead him on.

 **Word: Unrequited**

 **Rating: G**

 **Word Count: 1151**

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Day 5- Unrequited**

 **(adjective)**

 **a feeling (especially love) not returned or rewarded.**

Varric was at a loss of what to do. "Varric!" The smiling elf walked over to him, handing him yet another small, wooden box. And as he handed the box to him, he repeated "don't open it yet" as he had been saying for the past week and walked away. Varric noted the nervous yet happy glint in his eyes - something he had remembered teasing Hawke about in the past when she would look at Fenris.

Gift giving.

As far as he could see, he was the only one receiving such gifts. Varric could only come to one conclusion: the elf was smitten with him.

Noah was overly friendly towards him, he never snapped at him - he didn't even snap at him when he continued to call him Teddy (he'd express his displeasure but never stopped him from calling him it). He'd snap at anyone else but Varric for the nickname.

Varric made his way into the Rotunda. "Chuckles." Solas looked up from his desk to regard Varric. "I have a question."

"Ask away, my friend," Solas said, folding his hands together.

"Gift giving in elven culture, what does it signify?" Varric crossed his arms as Solas raised an eyebrow. It was time for Varric to get to the bottom of Noah's sudden odd behavior.

"It could mean many things. Gifts are a way of expressing one's fondness or kinship to another." Solas nodded when Varric gave a breath of relieve. "Though, it depends on the type of gift given. It could also be a process of courtship." Solas couldn't help but smirk when Varric's eyes widened. "Why…Has something happened?"

"Teddy has been showering me with gifts lately…"

"Showering, you say?" Solas raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, everyday."

"What exactly is he giving you?"

"These little wooden boxes." Varric noticed Solas perk up.

"Oh?"

"Why? What does that mean?" Varric asked urgently.

"Mmm…I'm afraid I do not know what to tell you, friend." Solas sounded and looked remorseful but there was a mischievous glint in his eye that Varric did not miss. Varric frowned but didn't comment on it.

* * *

"Varric~" Varric looked up from fiddling with the new grip on Bianca. Noah was walking towards him, all but singing his name, with another little box in his hands. Dorian, who was sitting next to him, quirked an eyebrow.

"Why, Varric, I didn't know you and the inquisitor were an item!" Dorian smirked when Varric frowned.

"Here. Don't open it yet!" Noah chirped.

Varric accepted the box and watched Noah walk away.

"I have to say, I'm rather jealous of you." Dorian said, grinning.

"We're not an item. He has just been giving me gifts for a reason unknown to me…" Varric grumbled. "I don't want to hurt him by rejecting them but…I also don't want to keep leading him on like this." Dorian smirked.

"Well, aren't you in a jam…" Dorian snickered. Varric frowned.

* * *

It was rare for Varric to be in the tavern but he found himself there. He was sitting across form Iron Bull talking who was gushing about the dragon they had slain the other day. Varric just smirked as he listened to them 'ooo'ing and 'aaah'ing.

"Varric~!" Varric slowly turned his gaze towards the entrance of the tavern to see Noah walking up to him with another box. This one was larger. "Don't open it yet, okay?"

Varric held the box with a frown. When Noah turned to leave, Varric decided it was time to put an end to all this. He followed the inquisitor out the tavern before calling out to him.

"Teddy, can I speak to you privately?" Noah turned to look at him in surprise. A nervous expression crossed his face briefly before it was replaced by a smile.

"Sure. My Quarters?"

"Eh…Sure."

* * *

They climbed the last couple of stairs to the Inquisitor's chambers. Varric looked around as he went - this was the first time he'd ever stepped foot in here. "Nice," Varric grinned. Noah smiled at him.

"Yeah. Vivienne insisted." He chuckled before plopping down on the bed. "You wanted something?"

"Listen…I don't want you to get the wrong idea…" Varric started. He decided it would best to just be direct with he elf. "I think you're a great guy, honestly, but I'm not exactly looking for anything deep right now." A confused look crossed the elf's face briefly before he took on a panicked expression.

"Oh Creators, did I do something wrong?" Noah asked urgently. Varric raised his hands and shook his head.

"No, no, Noah. Its not you, its me-"

"Oh, Sylaise, I did do something wrong!" Noah's panicked look turned sad.

"Ah…crap…I wanted to avoid that look…" Varric scratched his cheek. "We can still be friends…" He tried weakly. Noah's expression suddenly changed again. He looked confused.

"Wait…I thought that was what we were?" He asked.

"But you've been giving me all these gifts…"

Noah furrowed his brows. "I thought this was customary? To give your friend a gift each day."

"Who told you that?"

"Josephine…"

"Why in the world…"

"She said it was a Dwarven thing."

"Wait what…?" Now Varric was confused. "So…you're not in love with me?" Noah's eyes widened before he let himself fall backwards laughing. He gripped his sides, eyes watering, as he laughed loud and hard. Varric crossed his arms and glared at him. "Why is that so funny?"

"I assume you believed my showering you with gifts was an elven courting ritual?" Noah finally managed to gasp out between bouts of laughter.

"Well…yeah…why else would - what do you mean a Dwarven thing?" Varric frowned.

"Josephine said it was customary to give a friend gifts for the entire week of their birthday. If the person accepts each gift, it means your bond is strong."

"What?"

"I guess its an ancient Dwarven thing?"

"I've never heard of that a day in my life…what's in the boxes?"

"Well Josephine said that the boxes should contain something that pertains to the person's caste but I did't want to ask you such a question. So…I just got parts for you to use to upgrade Bianca." Noah was smiling.

"Well, Maker's balls…Here I thought you were crushing on me." Varric smirked.

"No offense, Varric, but you're not exactly my type." Noah grinned. Varric raised an eyebrow.

"What? Tall?"

"No…" Noah chuckled. "I like my men aggressive to an extent." Noah smirked.

"Is that right? I'm not aggressive?"

"No…you're like a bear cub." Noah's smirk widened. "Or a Marshmallow!"

"Marshmallow…?" Varric frowned.

"Yes. Squishy on the inside and out." Noah walked over to Varric and pinched his cheek before laughing. "Tall…" He laughed again and walked away. Varric sighed and rolled his eyes.

"How did he figure out my birthday...?"


	2. Day 7, Past

**Char: Blackwall, Noah**

 **Notes: Spoilers for those who didn't finish Blackwall's personal quest "Revelations".**

 **Summary:** Blackwall and Noah have a conversation about their past and how they are similar in some ways.

 **Word: Past**

 **Rating: G**

 **Word Count: 1060**

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Day 7- History**

 **(noun)**

 **the past considered as a whole**

The elf was not something he expected to be leading a large group of humans around. When he'd heard word of the Inquisition and what they were about, he expected to see a well-known, human warrior with high standings. He was not expecting an elf - a Dalish elf at that.

Blackwall looked up when he heard a loud snort coming from the stables. A few moments later, the elf inquisitor walked through the archway with a grayish blue Hart following him. That was odd, he'd never seen that animal before. He'd seen Noah come to the stables from time to time to talk to Dennett. He wondered what the two would talk about seeing as Noah spent an extended amount of time with the man. "You don't have to worry about that heavy saddle while you're here. I told Dennet not to saddle you up unless it was absolutely necessary."

Blackwall furrowed his brow. His first thought had been the elf was speaking to him but the context of his words implied he was speaking to the Hart. "Inquisitor," Blackwall greeted. Noah looked up at him and smiled.

"Hello, Blackwall," Noah said. He placed a hand on the Hart's head and it let out another loud snort, nudging against him. "This is Oranihari." He rubbed the Hart's head. "She's a Tirashan Swiftwind Hart."

"I see." Blackwall nodded. Blackwall sat down in the chair next to the table. He watched in slight fascination as Noah began to talk to the Hart. It even looked like the Hart responded back to him. He looked away.

He respected Noah, he really did. The elf put aside his distrust for humans to help others. He didn't let his disdain of being in the company of humans get in the way of his judgment, something Blackwall saw to be difficult. The elf was truly an admirable person. Someone he wished he could be a bit like - like the true Blackwall would be like. He let out a little sigh.

After he had told Noah the truth about his past, he looked only slightly surprised. He hadn't reprimanded him about lying. He was silent, for the most part, and hadn't mentioned the incident to anyone. Blackwall was kind of glad for that as he didn't want to cause any seen or garner any unnecessary attention.

"Blackwall?" Blackwall turned his gaze towards the elf. Noah was now sitting on the ground with his legs under him. Oranihari was sitting next to him, though it seemed she was sleeping. Her eyes were closed.

Blackwall was tempted to answer the elf but he somehow thought he was still talking to the Hart, that is until he noticed the elf was looking at him. "Yeah?"

"You've been sighing non-stop for the past few minutes. Are you alright?" Oranihari snorted loudly and turned her head towards Noah. She started nibbling on his hair and ended up pulling the cord keeping the elf's hair up in a bun, allowing his hair to spill around his slightly broad shoulders.

"I'm fine."

"I used to be the Halla Keeper in my old clan," Noah suddenly said. Blackwall watched Noah tug his hair free from Oranihari and stand. Oranihari sat and watched Noah move across the stable house. "Not of Clan Lavellan but of Clan Aeradhen."

"Aeradhen?" Blackwall frowned. He'd never heard the elf speak of anything from his past until now.

"Yes. My original clan is Aeradhen, not Lavellan." Noah returned to the Hart with a basket full of feed. "Cassandra and Leliana were angry with me when they learnt I did not yell at you," Noah smirked. "But…If I yell at you, I would have to yell at myself 'least I want to be a hypocrite."

"What do you mean?" Blackwall was confused now. They knew he was Rainier, then?

"You see…you said you ran away from what you did and took on a new persona, yes?" Noah smiled sadly. "You could say I did the same thing. My clan's slaughter was because of me but instead of owning up to my mistakes, I ran…" Noah looked up at Blackwall who looked surprised. "You and I are alike in someways, Blackwall…Rainier…" Noah let out a little sigh. "I admire you for going back…I respect what you were going to do…even if it was a bit late, at least you admitted your mistake and was prepared to answer to the consequences." Noah stood form his kneeling position in front of the Hart. Both the Hart and Blackwall followed his motion.

"You respect me…?" Blackwall asked. Noah nodded with a grin.

"You were and are Rainier, I was and am Noalanniel." Noah smiled sadly. "We both made mistakes in our past…You've…inspired me to finally come to terms with my mistakes…To realize I cannot go on blaming solely humans for my own faults."

"I…see…" Blackwall smiled. Noah chuckled.

"I apologize. It was not my intention to make you feel…awkward, shall we say?" Noah chuckled again. Blackwall smirked.

"To be completely honest, I am just a little surprised right now."

"Oh?" Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Well…Honestly," Blackwall started. Noah nodded for him to continue. "I didn't really imagine you to be so…" he trailed off, lost for what words he should use to describe the elf and his calm demeanor.

"Does it have anything to do with how I interact with Bull or Dorian? or even Cassandra?"

"Pretty much," Blackwall chuckled.

"I just feel…around you, I can truly be myself. Noalanniel. Not Noah Lavellan, not Herald of Andraste, not Inquisitor, not boss, just me. The Halla loving elf from clan Aeradhen…who occasional gets a bit a head of himself." He chuckled after the last part. Blackwall smirked.

A snort brought both of their attention to Oranihari. Noah chuckled. "Yes, yes. I love Harts as well." The Hart shook her head before turning it up. Noah smirked. "I love you especially, Orani…And yes, I'll bring back your favorite snacks." The Hart turned towards him and snorted again before standing. "She's a stubborn one," Noah said as they watched her walk back towards the stable stands.

"Like us?" Blackwall chuckled. Noah turned to Blackwall and smirked back.

"Yeah, like us."


	3. Day 9, Party

**Char: Josephine, Noah, Leliana, Cullen, Solas**

 **Summary:** Josephine gets a letter from clan Lavellan which says Noah's birthday was coming up in a few days.

 **Word: Party**

 **Rating: T**

 **Word Count: 2140**

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Day 9- Birthday**

 **the anniversary of the day on which a person was born**

Letters from Orlais? Josephine sighed as she opened the sealed envelope.

 _Dear Inquisitor,_

 _It has come to our attention that your influence has spread minutely throughout Orlais. I, Bertrand of house Lièvremont, would like to extend, as a representative of the family, assistance to the cause. If there is anything that you personally or that of the Inquisition would need, do not hesitate on contacting house Lièvremont, as we would be honored to help._

 _Warm regards,_

 _Bertrand Geoffroy-Égide Lièvremont_

Josephine read the first sentence over a couple of times. She furrowed her brow slightly then sat the letter aside. She picked up another one.

 _Greetings Da'len,_

 _I hope this letter gets to you on time. I understand that you have been very busy with everything up until now, but I hope that you can spare some time for yourself. I would like to express the joy that you have indirectly brought to the clan. We all wish you the best and hope that you celebrate the anniversary of your birthing. We would have liked it if you were able to make it back to the clan so we could honor this day together, but we understand how the trip here and back would be too long. You are always with us in thought, da'len._

 _Lovingly,_

 _Keeper Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan_

Anniversary of your birthing? The inquisitor's name-day was coming up? Josephine reread the letter over and over again. "Oh this is an opportunity we cannot pass up!" Josephine exclaimed.

"What are you up to, Josie?" Josephine looked up to see Leliana, clipboard in hand, walking into the room.

"The inquisitor received a letter from his clan. It states his name-day is coming up in a few days."

"Does it? When exactly is it?" Leliana walked over to Josephine's desk and placed her clipboard down. "You're still reading his letters? You know he's going to yell at you, again, if he finds out…which he will…"

"I couldn't help it! It was in English this time," Josephine placed a hand on her forehead. "And it doesn't say when exactly so I say we just hold it on Saturday." She jumped up from her desk. "So much planning to do! And I have to invite many of the nobles-"

"Uh, Josie," Leliana said, frowning. "Do you really believe this is such a good idea?"

"Of course! The letter from his clan even implied that he should celebrate! We'll give him a grandiose party to make up for his inability to return to his clan." Josephine had a dangerous sparkle to her eyes that made Leliana back away from her slightly.

"I have a feeling the elves' version of a celebration differs completely from our version of a celebration…and yours…" Leliana raised an eyebrow. It was obvious Josephine hadn't heard a word she had said as she was gathering papers and envelopes while mumbling excitedly to herself. "I have a feeling by the end of the week, someone will have died or been seriously injured…" Leliana sighed as she picked up her clipboard. "Have fun," she said as she left the room.

* * *

 **Thursday**

"I sent out word 2 days ago to 35 nobles!" Josephine crossed her arms in a huff. "Only 30 replied back!"

"Don't you think that is still enough anyway?"

"If I told you only 4 of them responded yes?" Josephine glared at Cullen who winced.

"Oh…"

"But no, all of them said yes." Josephine sighed and placed a hand on her head. "Most hail from Orlais. The problem is…I think Leliana may have been right…"

"About the inquisitor being less than pleased about the entire event?"

"No. About the inquisitor being less than pleased about those attending the event!" Josephine sighed. "It is done. There is nothing I can do but prepare decorations and figure out what we will be serving!"

"Don't you think he would have been happier with a more…traditional name-day celebration? You know…from his culture?" Cullen frowned, crossing his arms.

"I did!" Josephine huffed. "I even wrote it in the letters I sent the nobles which is why they're so enthusiastic about coming. They wish to experience something different from The Game for a change."

"What exactly is the issue here? Besides the inquisitor hating everyone in Orlais?" Cullen quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know anything about elven name-day traditions!" Josephine cried.

"That could be a problem…"

"You think so? Thank you for the grand review, Commander Obvious." Josephine glared at Cullen. "I can't very well just go up to him and ask! I want it to be a surprise."

"Why are you asking me? I'm not an elf." Cullen frowned.

"Ugh. I called you in here to inspire me not to make me feel more underprepared!"

"Why didn't you just ask Solas?" Cullen sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Wait!" Josephine exclaimed. "I'll just ask Solas! Why didn't I think of that earlier!"

"I just…said that…" Cullen grumbled as he watched Josephine all but run out of her office. "I feel a headache coming on…"

* * *

Solas looked up when he heard someone clear their throat. "Ah, Lady Montilyet. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I wanted to ask you about name-day traditions, specifically about elvish cultures." Josephine interlaced her fingers as her hands hung in front of her.

"Hm? What, may I ask, brought about this sudden interest?" Solas quirked a curious eyebrow.

"The Inquisitor's name-day is coming up and I would like to give him a traditional name-day celebration."

"A traditional name-day celebration without his clan would be difficult," Solas said, sitting up. "What they see as tradition and what the ancient elves saw as tradition may be different."

"I already have so many people coming and looking forward to this! I don't want to disappoint them or the inquisitor."

"I have a feeling the inquisitor wouldn't appreciate any of this at all." Solas quirked an eyebrow. "He seems to be a man who prefers the company of animals over the company of man."

"What is the tradition of the ancient elves then? The letter from his clan mentioned honoring the day."

"Really now? That sounds about close to what the ancient elves did." Solas sat back. "Though it really all depends on how old the inquisitor is."

"Uh," Josephine was suddenly hit with the realization that she had no clue. The letter didn't say anything and it never came up in conversation with the elf. Sure, everyone had speculated what his exact age could be but no one ever tried to ask him directly - well that she knew of. "He looks to be…in his early to mid twenties."

"So he has already had his 18th name-day celebration. Traditionally, only milestones of a person's life is celebrated. Birth, Coming of Age, Reaching Elderhood, and the rest is a bit complicated."

"Complicated? How complicated?" Josephine frowned.

"It would take me more than a month to explain it all to you. That complicated." Solas smirked. Josephine let out an exasperated sigh.

"So…do you think it could be a milestone?"

"You said that the letter said to honor the day, correct?" Josephine nodded. "I believe it may be a milestone, then again, you say he is in his twenties. No milestone happens that close to his coming of age - unless his Dalish clan see those younger than 20 summers as children still."

"So it would be a coming of age ceremony?" Josephine frowned.

"That would not work if you're planning to make this a spectacle," Solas sighed. "Why not just ask the Inquisitor?"

"Ugh! I want to avoid that! I'll just do some research…" She grumbled as she quickly left the Rotunda. Solas shook his head.

"I foresee catastrophe…"

* * *

 **Friday**

"Okay, this is going to be mostly outside. We have Halla and Harts," Josephine walked out of her office, clipboard in hand, marking off what was done and what had to be done. A woman followed behind her nodding.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to just ask the inquisitor-"

"Shush!" Josephine slapped her hand on the clipboard. "This will be a surprise for him! Don't ruin it!"

"Josephine…" The woman and Josephine's gaze snapped up when they heard the voice of none other then the inquisitor himself. He was walking through the main hall from outside, still looking back from where he came from.

"Yes, Inquisitor?"

"Why are there Harts running around the courtyard?" He asked slowly, pointing a thumb behind him.

"What? Running around?" Josephine cried before running past the elf. The elf watched her in confusion, scratching the top of his head.

"Humans are odd…" He grumbled.

* * *

 **Saturday**

"Everything is set!" Josephine gushed happily. "We are serving Nug stew, Elfroot tea-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…" Lelina interrupted her. "Tea and stew? That combination sounds horrible…"

"Its the traditional meal! We also have grilled Halla bits, Halla marinade, Bronto broth, Elfroot salad, and…a lot of other meat dishes that I could not possibly name. We have many elf chefs which made this much more easy!"

"I have a feeling this won't end well…" Leliana mumbled to empty air. Josephine had already walked away from her to greet the people coming in. They were all dressed in thin robes - some even looked to be half naked. "This…is not going to be taken well at all…"

* * *

 **Later that day…**

"Presenting, Inquisitor Noah of the Lavellan clan!"

Noah started as he walked through the main hall. He looked to the man to his right who bowed to him then looked around at the people all now looking at him. What in blazes-

"Happy name-day, inquisitor!" There was a chorus of shouts. Noah furrowed his brows as he walked past everyone and straight to Josephine.

"What is all this?" Noah demanded as he wildly flailed his arm at the group of people who went back to chatting. "And why are there Harts and Halla running around outside?!"

"It is a celebration party for your name-day!" Josephine grinned happily. Her grin slowly melted away when Noah gave her a blank look.

"What are you talking about?" Josephine gasped.

"OH! The letter," she flipped through the paper on her clipboard and handed it to Noah. Noah read it over and was silent. He slowly looked up at Josephine with the most heated look she'd ever seen.

"Would you stop reading my mail!" He snapped. "This was not written to me!" He growled. Josephine's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"It says birthing! Do I look like a woman to you?" Noah growled lowly. "One, the Keeper never calls me Da'len. Two, I'm not a woman. Three, stop reading my mail. Four, this was given to me to deliver to a member of clan Saela in the Exalted Plains since we've been going there regularly for the past few weeks! Five, Stop reading my fucking mail!" Noah yelled, gaining everyone's attention. They all stared in shock as the inquisitor stormed towards his quarters. "And make sure you get the Halla and Harts safely back from whence they came!" with that he opened the door and slammed it shut. Josephine blinked.

It was silent. Josephine cleared her throat and waved her hand. "He is just having a bit of an off day. Please, enjoy yourselves!" that was all it took for the chatter to continue. Josephine was pretty sure the new topic was the inquisitor's little outburst. She sighed as she massaged her temples. Leliana walked up to her and Josephine held a hand up. "I know, I know. You told me so."

"That…wasn't exactly what I was going to say but yes, I did tell you so." Leliana quirked an amused eyebrow.

"Something tells me he's not just angry about this whole misunderstanding and my reading his mail…" Josephine's eyes suddenly widened. "Solas said something about milestones…and his reaction to a party seems similar to that of my mother's reaction to the party my father had planned her when she turned 40…"

"Milestones?"

"I think I just figured it out! I upset him because he does 't want to be reminded that he's getting older!"

"Or…he could just be mad that you read his mail and invited people he hates to a party he never wanted…it could also be the fact you have wild Halla and Harts running around outside…"

"Or that…" Josephine laughed nervously. "I wonder if Solas knows any elven gifts I could give the inquisitor that will tell him I am sorry…"

"Or you can just…walk up there and apologize?"

"I can't go empty handed!" Josephine cried, walking towards the Rotunda.

"You like to do things the long way, don't you…" Leliana sighed to the empty air.


	4. Day 13, Elder

**Char: Solas, Noah**

 **Note: Kind of a follow up on " _Age_ ", Day 10. Drabble can be found under _Odds and Ends with Noah & Dorian_ story.**

 **Summary:** "Ah, the bitter-sweet sound of revenge." Solas surmises Noah's exact age and Noah's not too pleased.

 **Word: Elder**

 **Rating: T**

 **Word Count: 980**

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Day 13- Hahren**

 **(noun)**

 **title meaning elder or person of great wisdom.**

"This place must have seen countless of battles…Marvelous to think what memories it would hold." Noah looked over his shoulder when he heard Solas speak.

"Are these ancient elven ruins?" Iron Bull asked.

"Yes." Both Solas and Noah answered at the same time. "The oldest ruins we've come in contact with yet," Solas added.

They were currently in an unnamed ruins, answering to a historian's request on exploring the place. Apparently it was too dark and spooky for him to make the trip himself but it was to expected since the elven shrines and ruins usually housed ancient angry spirits.

"Turn back," Noah said, stopping. The other three stopped along with him and looked at him.

"What?" Bull asked.

"This is the ruins of an ancient burial keep," Noah said.

"Really?" Varric asked, turning to look at Solas for confirmation.

"How did you figure that?" Bull asked. Noah pointed up to a pillar to their right.

"Each of these pillars contain a symbol of Falon'Din. The words that I can make out say 'Friend of the Dead, Guide us to peace' which Friend of the Dead is Falon'Din."

"So, we toss this mission?" Varric asked.

"If we don't want to bring down the wrath of ancient spirits upon us, yes," Solas put in. "I believe the Inquisitor is correct, we should turn back."

"Whatever you say, boss."

* * *

Solas looked up when he heard the light tapping of footsteps. It was the Inquisitor walking through the rotunda from Cullen's office. "Inquisitor," Solas said in greeting. Noah nodded his head to Solas wordlessly, continuing his slow trek towards the library stairs.

Solas raised an eyebrow. He found Noah's attitude towards him a bit strange. It was to his understanding that he was older than the elf. He could have sworn that type of seniority would mean a lot to a Dalish elf, especially since Solas knew more about the ancient elves and their way of life. He expected the younger elf to clamor for any information Solas happened to have and was willing to give. "Inquisitor, I wanted to ask you something," Solas called again, just as Noah took one step up.

Noah stepped away from the stairs and walked over to Solas. "Yeah?"

"You knew exactly what the text said on the pillars," Solas said, crossing his arms. "And as we walked, I heard you mumbling all of what was written on the walls. My question is: how is it that a Dalish elf knows so much of the ancient language? It was to my understanding that the language was lost to all Dalish elves and only a few snippets of it still were used in daily life."

"I don't know about other Dalish clans but the elven language was my first spoken tongue," Noah said with a frown.

"Really?"

"Yes…I actually didn't even know much English until I joined the Lavellan Clan."

"Lavellan isn't your original clan?" This was news to the older elf. He knew little of the other elf, though, that was probably through no fault but his own. He assumed the elf was like others from Dalish clans: clinging to what little they knew and misconstruing it in a way that made it resemble nothing of the real old ways.

"Yes. I thought you knew since it seems like everyone knows now." Noah raised an eyebrow.

"I guess I was just late to the party then," Solas said, shrugging. He'd really only said it like that to gauge Noah's reaction. Not even a smirk. The elf just stared at him with a small furrow in his brow. He even looked slightly confused.

"…Seems that way…"

He could never get a reading on the elf. He joked about a lot but was serious when there was need for it. He pulled pranks along side Sera from time to time but he could also be found buried in books in the library. He was much more mature than any other elf Solas come in contact with. His personality sat at the borderline of immaturity and maturity; he clung to youth yet he didn't. It brought Solas to the only logical conclusion.

"45," Solas said with a nod. The average lifespan of a modern, healthy elf was only slightly longer than that of a human. Possibly by only half a year or so. Noah was on that borderline between leaving behind his youth entirely and going into, what Solas would call, elderhood. It was a point in every elf's life where they began contemplating what it truly meant to be alive, free, and a part of the natural spectrum of the realm.

"Huh?" The furrow in Noah's brow deepened.

Solas crossed his arms. "You do not refer to me as Hahren, as many of the few Dalish elves I've come in contact with have. You see us as being on equal grounds when it comes to knowledge, correct?"

 _"…Or it could be that I don't respect you…"_ Noah mumbled under his breath. Solas either didn't hear him or chose not to comment on it as he continued to speak.

"You are within the same age range as myself, are you not? You are 45 years old."

Noah's lips became a thin line, his eyes narrowing at Solas. "That bastard put you up to this, didn't he? I'm going to kill Dorian." Noah growled, storming away in a huff.

Solas, his eyebrows raised, turned his gaze to the open archway of the rotunda when he heard chuckling.

"Well, Chuckles, you just put Sparkler in the doghouse," Varric said with a grin. He disappeared back into the main hall. Solas turned away to look at the wall.

 _"Dorian, you ass!"_

A slow, small grin graced Solas' face. "Ah, the bitter-sweet sound of revenge."


	5. Day 14, Foolish

**Char: Dorian, Sera, Cassandra, Noah**

 **Summary:** Walking through Western Approach has Noah complaining a lot more than usual.

 **Word: Foolish**

 **Rating: T**

 **Word Count: 442**

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Day 14- Foolish**

 **(adjective)**

 **lacking good sense or judgment.**

Noah could think of a million places he'd rather be right now. One was sitting out in the rain in Storm Coast naked. Another is sitting naked outside of Skyhold. Majority of his 'much rather be' places involved being naked somewhere.

Right now they were in the Western Approach, answering to the Griffon's Keep inquisition soldier's plea to check out something. That something happened to be the increasing number of Darkspawn appearing. Usually they only appeared in the night, now they were floating about all day long.

Cassandra led them. Dorian and Sera trailed behind her while Noah lagged behind them all."Why exactly do we need a stronghold out here. Please tell me a legitimate reason we have to travel out here," Noah complained.

"We need to stretch our power out wherever we can. We're showing people that-" Cassandra was interrupted by Noah groaning out loud. She glared at him over her shoulder as he began to speak.

"Please point me to the idiot that lives here. I have a bone to pick with him," Noah grumbled. Sera giggled.

"I'd like to talk to the piece o' shite too. Makin' us walk out here. Pfft. Better things to do, you know? Fighting bad guys that are hurting the little guys directly, not just the bad guys that only offend 'em by being so damn ugly." Sera huffed, crossing her arms.

"Yeah. I agree with whatever Sera just said," Noah huffed, crossing his arms.

"I have the feeling you don't even know what she said." Cassandra rolled her eyes.

"Of course I do! Saving people, jerking off guys, Something, something, words, and all that noise." Noah scratched at the nap of his neck. Dorian sniggered and Sera laughed behind her hand. Cassandra rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm kind of distracted at the moment. The view is nice too." Dorian looked over his shoulder at Noah with a smirk.

"Watching me so closely now, are we?" Dorian asked.

"Maybe." Noah shrugged, frowning.

"Maybe we should camp for now, yeah? Getting a bit dark and it gets damn cold here at night," Sera said.

"And my feet are killing me. And theres dust in my eye. And my nose burns. And there is sand in places there should never be sand," Noah huffed.

"You're complaining a lot more than usual," Cassandra noted. Noah shrugged.

"Meh, just that time of the month."

There was silence as both Sera and Cassandra gave Noah a look. They both looked at Dorian. Dorian shrugged, just as confused as the other two.


	6. Day 19, Dogma

**Char: Noah, surprise**

Summary: Someone threatens the core of the inquisition by getting under the inquisitor's skin in a way deeper than ever before.

Word: Dogma

Rating: T

Word Count: 1,395

 **30 Days of Noah**

 **Dogma**

 **(noun)**

 **a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true**

He didn't know why, but he always had the uneasy feeling of being watched. True, it had been there since the start of his misadventures of being Herald, but the feeling had gone away when he'd been given the title of Inquisitor. Now, the feeling was back and it was even worst than before.

Noah sighed as he sat aside the reports for the day. He placed them in the edge of his desk, barely containing the urge to toss them behind him and forgot about them forever. He _hated_ doing reports. He thought that Josephine would handle all the reports. Boy, was he sadly mistaken.

With an exhausted sigh, Noah pushed away from his desk and dragged himself to the balcony. He leaned against the railing and sighed. Night had fallen. There weren't many outside but there were guards on the battlement. Come to think of it, there were more than he would normally see walking about. He'd have to ask Cullen about that later.

The feeling of being watched crashed over him so suddenly, he almost fell over the balcony. He scanned over the hold, trying to figure who had been watching him and why. From what he could see, no one was looking up at him or even in his general direction.

Noah sighed and walked back into his room, groaning when he noticed Cullen walking up the steps. "What is it _now_ , Commander?" Noah asked followed by an exasperated sigh.

Cullen paused at the top of the stairs, seemingly thinking whether he should continue on with whatever he came up there to do. He chose to continue, much to Noah's chagrin.

"You've been getting strange letters," Cullen said. Noah frowned as the ex-templar walked farther into the room. He stood in front of his desk and placed a pile of scrolls on his desk. Noah walked over and picked one of them up and glared up at Cullen.

"Don't tell me you've been reading _and_ withholding my mail," Noah growled. Cullen raised his hands in surrender.

"I admit fully to this, but this is not because of the same reasons Josephine does."

"I don't care. You people need to give things addressed to me _to me!_ What if there was something important that I needed to know but-"

"Inquisitor, these letters were of a threatening nature. I withheld them so I could figure out who was sending them." Cullen's brow furrowed. He gestured to the desk full of reports. "I did not want to add this on top of everything else you've been busy with."

"Is that why there are so many extra guards?" Noah asked with a frown. Now he understood. That still didn't explain the feeling…well it did. Someone obviously was stalking him and probably wanted him dead. But, what else was new? He was an elf in power, he was pretty sure half of Thedas wanted him dead.

"Yes, this is why," Cullen said. He sighed and crossed his arms. "We were trying to keep this from you, but it would seem like we need to involve you to figure out who this person or persons are. The last letter that came in was written completely in elven. We had Solas translate it and it still did not make sense." Cullen picked up one of the letters that were tied with an orange ribbon. Something on that ribbon caught Noah's eye, though. It was the seal embroidered on it. It was of a large tree with four thick, flowering, branches shooting up. It was surrounded by a circle.

"Clan Aeradhen's seal…" Noah mumbled under his breath.

"Your old clan? I thought you said they were dead." Cullen frowned as he watched the elf's face slowly drain of color.

"Could I…be alone?" Noah asked in a breathy whisper. Cullen hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"If you should need me, you know where to find me." Cullen nodded once more before taking his leave. As soon as Noah heard Cullen close the door, he walked back to the balcony and closed it. He frowned. The feeling of being watched hadn't gone away like he thought it would have after closing the doors. He stepped away from the doors in time to see a thin blue veil cover the entire wall in front of him. He would have spun around to see who did it but felt a sharp prick a the back of his neck.

"Don't move," the voice said. The voice was deep, but not gravely so. It had a light lilt to it and a deep lisp, but the accent let Noah know the person was an elf. A Dalish one. Noah felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach. That feeling he'd been having for days seemed to be in connection with the letters his advisors had refused to show him. Now the reason for his unease and the author of these letters were standing behind him with a dagger to his neck. Go figure.

Noah slowly raised his hands in surrender. "What do you want?"

"Don't fucking talk! Walk with me." The voice was nothing but a low snarl in his ear. Noah didn't verbally respond. He walked backwards with the man. The man grabbed his arm and maneuver him so his back was towards the bed and he was in front.

Noah's eyes quickly looked over the man. He was about the same height as Noah, probably a couple centimeters shorter. He was wearing a red mask that completely concealed his face— even his eyes were covered. The shapes and line of the mask suggested it was a dragon's face. His clothes…they were a battlemage's attire. He was wearing a heavy, black cloak which hid his hair and most of the mask. His body was wrapped in light cloth, similar to Noah's under clothes, but was dyed a deep red. The long, trench coat over the light cloth was a hard, black leather. His arms were dressed in light, silver plating, as were his legs. Who was this man?

He was pushed on his back, the man needlessly pointing his dagger at him. He could have killed him with the snap of his fingers, he obviously didn't need this dagger.

"I was hired to kill you," the man spoke low. He sighed, sheathing his dagger on his side. He sat down next to Noah. "I could have killed you 50 times over. Your advisors are stupid…they don't even trust you to handle yourself. Your guards are even stupider."

"Then why didn't-" Noah was interrupted by a swift jab against his throat. He brought his hand up to his neck and choked. He narrowed his eyes at the man next to him.

"I said don't fucking talk!" The assassin hissed. He stood up in front of Noah. "Do you really want to know the reason why I didn't kill you?" The man took his glove off and ran a hand through Noah hair, loosening the bun to let the elf's hair cascade around his broad shoulders. "Do you really want to know why I didn't slit your fucking throat, even though I want to even more now that I know…?"

Noah nodded silently, still rubbing his sore throat.

"I was hired by the Crows to kill you, a contract from some dumbass in Orlais." The assassin chuckled humorlessly. "I did not notice I would know you when I got here." He let out a shaky sigh. "You reminded me of someone dear to me. Someone who used to be dear to me." He sighed again. "Someone I haven't seen since I was very young." He ran his hand gently through Noah's hair. "I thought it to be a simple reminder, but when I watched you…I knew…I knew that I couldn't kill you because you are family. If I remember anything from my Teachers in Vimmarkan, you do _not_ kill another Aeradhen, no matter what."

The assassin took his mask off and sighed.

"I don't know if you remember my name, but…I am called Jorilamael." He looked up at Noah and Noah tensed. Burning emeralds stared into shocked peridots. "Hello, father. It has been awhile, hasn't it?"


End file.
